Experimental Kiss
by Taurus Pixie
Summary: Worrying about not being able to act natural around Adrien, Marinette finds some unlikely help in the form of Chat Noir. However, things soon take an unexpected and passionate turn as their role-play session soon goes a little bit too far. One-shot.


**This one-shot is a little gift for my amazing friend ChibiRinni. You truly are a wonderful friend and have been so kind and wonderful to me. I really do apologise that this story a few months late, but I hope that it was worth the wait and that you enjoy it. I also hope others enjoy it too, and please feel free to let me know your thoughts in a review.**

**Rated T to be safe.**

**I do not own Miraculous Ladybug. This is just fanfiction written for fun and no money is being made out of this.**

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_**For ChibiRinni**_

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**Experimental Kiss**

Another lonely night wallowing in her own misery. Marinette was almost becoming accustomed to it by now, but unfortunately that didn't make it any less painful. Her heart still ached and pined for Adrien. She could feel her heart being pulled towards him right this very second as she leaned against the railings of her balcony, staring out into the brightly lit city in the direction of his house.

No doubt Alya and Nino were still out there having fun somewhere. They might not even have noticed that she had even left, that's just how much of a third wheel that Marinette felt like she was becoming. She was happy for her two best friends, but that didn't mean she didn't feel awkward when it was the three of them. Nino had assured her that Adrien would be joining them, giving Marinette some hope.

Maybe tonight could have been the night where she could finally make a move on him. Maybe she would finally be able to work up the courage and tell him how she felt. With the four of them together like that, it would almost feel like they were on a double date.

Marinette had it all planned out in her head. She was going to do her best to be herself and impress him. She was so determined to not act like a total dork around him. Then, as the sun began to set, she was going to take him towards the Seine and tell him how she felt. It was going to be so romantic.

She had even agreed with Chat Noir that he was going to patrol the city on his own tonight so that she could have the night off to do this. She felt guilty, especially when Chat Noir seemed disappointed, but this was just too important. An opportunity like this would probably never come around again. After all, his father hardly ever let Adrien out of the house to hang out with his friends. Not only that, but Alya and Nino would be distracted by each other, giving her and Adrien plenty of time alone.

It had all seemed so perfect!

That was until Adrien had called Nino while they had been waiting for him to admit that he couldn't hang out after all.

Marinette didn't think that it was possible for her heart to sink any lower.

It was like the universe was conspiring against her. Conspiring to make sure that she and Adrien would never end up together. In books, movies and TV shows, it always seemed like fate drew couples together. Yet in reality, Marinette felt like it was the exact opposite. No matter what she tried, Marinette always failed in trying to ask him out on a date or admitting her feelings for him. It was usually her own stupid fault which just made it all the more frustrating, but tonight, it literally was like the universe was trying to keep them apart.

Marinette then sighed to herself, feeling completely and utterly pathetic. Maybe she was just trying too hard. Maybe all of these convoluted plans were part of the problem. But Marinette just didn't know how to act natural and normal around him. She wished that she could be smooth and casually ask him out on a date. But it was like something was broken in her brain that prevented her from doing so.

It was so embarrassing and frustrating.

"Well, what's a beautiful _purrincess _like you doing standing all alone like this in the middle of the night?" a familiar voice half-teased from above her.

Startled, Marinette twisted around to see none other than Chat Noir sat on the chimney above her. He sat with his legs bent like a cat, staring down at her with his head titled to one side in curiosity. He looked so much like a real cat right now that it was almost hilarious. Ordinarily, this would have made Marinette laugh, but she just couldn't bring herself to feel that much joy right now.

"Chat Noir?" Marinette found herself dumbly questioning.

"The one and only," Chat purred out as he hopped down onto the smaller chimney beneath him, bringing the two of them closer together.

The usual playful sparkle lit up his green eyes, however, Marinette could see the underlying worry, concern and sadness that he seemed to be trying to hide. Marinette just knew Chat Noir too well at this point. Was he mad that she had made him patrol on his own? Did he think that she was being selfish? Marinette honestly wouldn't blame him.

"I…I…" Marinette wasn't really sure what to say.

Chat Noir watched her, waiting patiently for her to finish.

"What are you doing here?" was the first sentence that Marinette was able to finally form.

It was a good question that Marinette wanted to know the answer to though. Sure she was ignoring Chat Noir's, but Marinette felt like hers was more important. He should be patrolling the city right now, but instead he was visiting girls on their balconies? That was just so typical of Chat Noir, and Marinette found that thought strangely upsetting her more than it should have. No wait…she had every right to be upset because he should be doing his job instead of acting like some sort of peeping tom.

Chat Noir blinked in surprise at her sudden subject change and almost suspicious and scolding edge to her tone.

Finally, he chuckled slightly before responding.

"You sound just like my lady sometimes," Chat joked, a longing look consuming his face before he quickly plastered on a more cheery expression. "I was just patrolling the neighbourhood when I happened to see you here and thought you could do with cheering up. We heroes like to try and save those in emotional distress too." He flexed one of his biceps at that remark.

Marinette almost snorted at how silly he was being. She could feel her mood being lifted slightly already, and she knew that she could always count on Chat Noir to cheer her up. He was so easy to be around a lot of the time. Marinette just wished that she felt this feeling when she was around Adrien. It might make things a heck of a lot easier for her. It would certainly save her a lot of embarrassment.

"It's okay," Marinette sighed out, "it doesn't really matter, and I wouldn't want to distract you from patrolling the city."

"Princess, if you're upset, then I want to do everything I can to help," Chat Noir spoke more softly this time.

Marinette was taken aback by just how kind and gentle he was sounding. It was sweet of him that he wanted to help, but she knew that there was no way that he could. Besides, it was completely and totally embarrassing. Chat Noir wouldn't want to know about her boy problems. Not to mention she didn't want to end up accidentally giving too much away. No doubt if she told Chat Noir that she was in love with Adrien Agreste, he would think that it was some sort of stupid celebrity crush.

"No, really," Marinette tried to insist, "you don't have to. It's pathetic anyway."

"Oh come on, I'm sure that's not true," Chat tried to reassure her.

Marinette sighed and collapsed onto one of her deck chairs. Chat Noir could be so stubborn sometimes, even though she was grateful and touched by his concern for her. He really was a true hero for wanting to comfort a random citizen in the middle of the night.

But still, Marinette remained tight lipped, staring up at the dark sky above her. It was times like this that she wished she lived in the middle of the countryside so that she could gaze at the stars. Instead, she saw nothing but the orange glow of the city on the horizon and a dark, blank canvas above her. The empty void seemed to hang heavily over her, pressing her down into the earth, and reminding Marinette of just how insignificant she was and that Adrien would probably never feel the same way about her.

No amount of help from Chat Noir was going to change that.

"Oh no, then it must be really bad." Chat Noir's ears drooped as he slowly hopped down onto her balcony before taking a seat next to her.

"What makes you say that?" Marinette asked curiously. She had no idea that Chat Noir could be so intuitive.

"Well, you're normally one of the most positive people that I know, Marinette," Chat Noir began to explain. "Nothing ever gets you down, and you always manage to find a way of looking on the bright side. So it must be something that's really got to you if you're feeling and acting this way. That's another reason why I want to do everything I can to help. Not to mention you've helped me on a lot of occasions, so maybe it's time that I returned the favour."

Marinette sighed again, turning and lowering her head to gaze down at her hands that she kept fidgeting with nervously. She could feel her cheeks flushing a slight shade of pink at the thought of turning to Chat Noir for comfort and revealing what had her feeling this upset. But maybe it would be better to get an outsider's opinion? Alya just simply gave her the same advice each time. And Marinette didn't have to reveal who exactly it was that she had a crush on. But still…

"I dunno…" Marinette kept hesitating. "Like I said, it's pathetic."

Chat Noir smirked down at her before nudging her slightly with his shoulder. "Then why don't you tell me and then I'll be the judge of whether or not it's pathetic?"

Dang it, her kitty could be good sometimes.

"Do you promise you won't laugh?" Marinette found herself begging for reassurance.

Wait…since when did she decide she was actually going to tell him?

"Cross my heart and hope to die," Chat said, drawing an invisible cross over his chest. "All nine lives included in that by the way."

Marinette rolled her eyes before becoming solemn again.

"It's…well…it's a boy." Marinette quickly closed her eyes, bracing herself for the inevitable laughter that was likely to follow her confession.

However, no such sound ever reached her ears.

Slowly, Marinette opened one of her eyes to glance up at Chat Noir who was simply staring down at her patiently, but also with a hint of confusion. There was no trace of amusement at her expense on his face at all. He seemed to be genuinely listening to her and taking her seriously. There was none of his usual puns and jokes like he would normally make in serious situations. Marinette was grateful, but at the same time, she was shocked, having very rarely seen this side of Chat Noir before.

"Why would that be pathetic?" Chat Noir questioned when he realised that Marinette wasn't going to say any more.

Marinette shrugged. "I dunno…it's just…I dunno…"

"Though to be honest, when it comes to the affairs of the heart, I'm probably the last person who should be giving out advice." Chat Noir sighed sadly.

Marinette cringed back at that remark. She knew exactly what he was talking about and it broke her heart to have put him in this situation. Was the way she was feeling how Chat Noir felt all the time when he was around her when she was Ladybug? Maybe this was her karma. But at the same time, she couldn't help it that she had no romantic feelings towards Chat Noir. At least the two of them both knew where they stood, and Marinette always left no room for doubt that she only saw Chat Noir as a friend, as much as it pained the both of them and sometimes put a strain on their relationship.

She had no idea where the hell she stood with Adrien. Was she a friend? Did he have a crush on her like the poem he had written seemed to hint at? Or did he find her as nothing more than an annoyance? She wouldn't be surprised if it was the latter case since she could hardly ever string a sentence together when she was around him. He probably thought that she was super weird or crazy or something like that.

If only she could figure out a way to act more naturally around him. Because thinking about it, the only Marinette that he knew was the stuttering and clumsy one. He barely knew anything about her because Marinette could never hold a conversation with him without the overwhelming urge to pass out.

"It's just…there's this boy I really like…but I don't know how to act naturally around him. I always end up making myself look like a total dork and he probably thinks I'm weird," Marinette continued to explain, running her hands through her hair in frustration.

"What do you mean you don't know how to act naturally around him?"

"Well, I get all tongue tied and can't concentrate when I'm around him. He's just so dreamy," Marinette gushed, nearly falling into a deep daydream about how cute and amazing Adrien was. She quickly shook her head to snap herself out of it though.

Chat Noir chuckled. "Maybe you just need some practice. You probably don't look as bad or as weird as you think you do. You're just hyper-alert because you don't want to do anything wrong in front of him."

"Y-yeah," Marinette admitted, not really having thought about it like that before. Her thoughts were always such a mess whenever they drifted onto the topic of Adrien Agreste.

"Like I said, maybe you just need to practice what you're going to say and how you're going to behave."

"You mean like…role-playing?"

"Yeah, sure, that could work."

"I don't know, I think I'll just feel silly if I do something like that. Besides, how will I know if I'm doing a good job if I'm just doing it on my own?" Marinette leaned back in her chair in defeat.

"Well, maybe I could help you out? Just for tonight though probably since I'm often busy. But at least this way you could get some quick feedback," Chat Noir offered.

"Are you being serious?" Marinette gasped out.

Chat Noir nodded. "Totally."

"You'd really pretend to be the boy that I like so I can practice asking him out?"

"Sure! What are superheroes for?" Chat Noir waved it off like it was nothing – or that it wasn't weird.

"I don't know…" Marinette felt slightly uncomfortable about the whole thing.

"There's nothing to feel awkward about. We're friends, right? And I'd never tell anyone about this, so don't worry about me trying to embarrass you. But it's alright if you don't want to do it, it was just a suggestion to maybe help build your confidence. Because I know you can do it, Marinette. I'm just trying to prove it to you. It could be the perfect experiment for you," Chat encouraged.

Marinette almost felt herself being swept backwards by the amount of faith and kindness that was rolling off her partner right now. She couldn't believe that Chat Noir was willing to put himself in this awkward situation for her.

He'd do that…for _her_.

It was the sweetest, most weirdest thing anyone had ever done for her.

Maybe she should take him up on the offer. It would probably be even more embarrassing if she practiced with anyone else. It wasn't like she saw Chat Noir as Marinette that often anyway, and he had promised not to tell anyone. She trusted Chat Noir with her life, and this was something that would definitely help her. She knew that Chat would be honest and help her act more casual.

"Ummm…okay then," Marinette finally agreed.

Chat Noir smiled and stood up. "Okay, so just pretend that I'm the boy you like."

Marinette couldn't help but giggle at that remark.

Chat rolled his eyes. "I'll pretend not to be insulted by that."

"Sorry," Marinette quickly apologised while still struggling to contain her giggles, "I'm not very good at this sort of thing."

"You're thinking about it too much, that's why. Now, what does this true love of yours look like?" Chat asked.

"He's amazing. He's super handsome and cute, and he's really intelligent, brave and kind," Marinette rambled on.

"The perfect role for me then." Chat smirked.

Marinette laughed again. "You wish."

Chat Noir pretended to have been shot in the chest. "Ack! My princess wounds me!"

"Yeah yeah, stop acting like this is some sort of Greek tragedy."

"Why not? I certainly have the mask for such a thing," Chat Noir continued to joke.

"I thought that you wanted to help me?" Marinette folded her arms and smirked playfully.

"You're right, sorry, I'll be a good kitty." Chat Noir took a deep breath and became serious again.

There were a few moments of awkward silence between them as Marinette stood there, unsure of what to do.

It wasn't long before Chat Noir sighed. "Aren't you going to do anything?"

"Oh – ummm – I don't really know what _to _do," Marinette admitted bashfully.

"Oy vey." Chat Noir facepalmed. "Just pretend that I'm the boy you like and walk over to me and ask me out on a date."

"Right, okay," Marinette pumped herself up, almost jogging on the spot slightly.

Chat Noir rolled his eyes before he leaned against the railing casually, obviously getting into character.

Marinette took a deep breath before walking towards him and coming to a stop a few inches away. Chat Noir looked down at her expectantly.

_Okay, come on, focus Marinette, _she urged herself. _You can do this. Just imagine that he's Adrien. _

As she stared up at her partner, the black leather suit and mask began to melt away. His messy golden locks neatened out into a shorter and tidier blond haircut. His green eyes became more human, morphing into Adrien's warm ones that Marinette could stare deep into forever.

"H-hi," Marinette managed to speak at last.

"Hi," Adrien replied, pushing himself off the railing of her balcony.

Marinette giggled as she could feel her face turning bright red. Unable to resist her old habit, she looked away and became consumed by the frantic beating of her heart. Awkwardness radiated from her, and she had suddenly lost all train of thought. Her brain had become a gooey mess that was no longer functioning properly.

"Okay, time out," Chat Noir's serious voice managed to snap Marinette out of it.

Startled, Marinette looked back up as Chat Noir once again stood where her imaginary Adrien had been just a few seconds ago. It disorientated her slightly, but Chat Noir still seemed focused on the task at hand. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose for a few seconds before he began offering her feedback.

"Okay, I see what you mean about acting awkward around him."

"Was it that bad?" Marinette gasped out.

"Errr…no. It was…cute…and endearing…but you definitely need to work on your confidence."

"So I do freak people out." Marinette sighed in defeat.

"No, you weren't really being weird, it just made you come across as incredibly shy," Chat Noir explained. "And if this guy is decent – which he better be or I'm coming after him – then he won't be judging you and will understand that maybe you are just shy and easily flustered. There's nothing wrong with that."

"But I want to keep that under control around him. I want him to get to know the real me," Marinette almost began to cry out in frustration.

Chat Noir took a deep breath. "Okay, let's try it again then. Only this time, maybe don't become so lost in the fantasy of me being the boy you like. Pretend I'm him but not him."

"Huh?" Marinette tilted her head in confusion.

"Ugh, never mind, just focus on being yourself," Chat Noir advised.

"Right." Marinette rolled her shoulders back, closing her eyes as she began mentally preparing herself again.

Maybe for now, she should just stop pretending that Chat Noir was Adrien. At least this way, she could find out how she would do at being herself before maybe pushing herself more towards building up her confidence to act that way around Adrien.

Opening her eyes, Marinette once again took a few steps towards Chat Noir.

"Hey there, how's it going?" Marinette managed to ask casually, though her voice did still shake nervously. But at least it was an improvement from last time.

Chat Noir smiled, remaining casual. "It's going good, you?"

Marinette gulped but forced herself onwards. "Great."

It felt like another awkward silence was going to fall upon them, but luckily, Marinette managed to save that from happening this time.

"Do you have anything planned for the weekend?"

"Not much, why?"

"Oh nothing," Marinette said as she swayed on the spot slightly, trying to keep her nerves under control, "but I was just…y'know…wondering if you maybe wanted to…I don't know…hang out? Just the two of us?"

"You mean…like a date?" Chat Noir asked, doing a good job of acting shocked.

"Ummm…yeah. If that's something you'd like?"

"Yeah, definitely!" Chat Noir exclaimed way more excitedly than Adrien probably would.

"Great!" Marinette tried to match his excitement, imagining what it would feel like to actually have Adrien react that way to her. She would probably die right there on the spot from the amount of joy that would explode out of her body.

All of her feelings suddenly felt like they were about to gush out of her like a huge tsunami after having kept them bottled in for so long. She couldn't take it anymore. Her chest felt like it was about to burst from the pressure. Her heart took control of her body, pushing her brain to one side as her overwhelming feelings completely took over, breaking themselves free from the cage that Marinette had locked them away in for so long.

"I've been looking forward to this moment ever since we first met," Marinette said as her voice lowered slightly. "I…I'm going to be honest. I've had feelings for you for so long now. You mean everything to me. I…I…I love you."

As she spoke, she found herself leaning more unconsciously towards him. She could feel his warmth surrounding her as her eyes became hooded, and her heart thudded inside her chest. Shivers ran down her spine before rushing towards the rest of her body, creating a pleasant tingling sensation within every cell in her body.

"I…I love you too," he responded after a few seconds of intense silence.

Marinette smiled, her heart pushing her forwards to catch Adrien's lips in a gentle kiss. Their lips touched ever so lightly, but was enough for Marinette to feel their softness. It was enough to send electricity pumping throughout her entire body, spurring her on in a hunger that she had never felt before.

No…

_What had she done?!_

_This was Chat Noir!_

But before Marinette even had time to gasp and pull away to profusely apologise for getting so carried away, warm lips suddenly collided with her own, silencing her, and removing all trace of rational thought. His leather covered hands covered her cheeks, trapping her face against his own. His lips were strong and firm, instantly reigniting that burning hunger that had consumed her just a few seconds ago.

It felt like the most natural thing in the world to mould her own lips against his own. They were a perfect fit, like two adjacent pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Nothing had ever felt more right. It filled her body with a comforting warmth, and Marinette soon found her arms making their way around his neck, her fingers gripping his soft hair as she deepened the kiss, silently begging for more.

Chat Noir seemed more than happy to oblige as his tongue traced the outline of her lips. Marinette didn't think she had ever experienced something so intense. It was suffocating and scary, but she never wanted it to end. It felt too good. Her whole body was beginning to burn with pleasure, and all she knew was that she wanted more.

At the exact same moment, both Marinette and Chat Noir came back to their senses like someone had just poured a large bucket of cold water on top of them. Icy fear replaced the burning pleasure that had been seeping through every inch of her body. Her blood turned to ice, and Marinette quickly pulled away like she had been burned.

Chat Noir's eyes were wide and fearful. His cheeks were heavily flushed, and he looked like he had just seen a ghost. Marinette didn't think she had ever seen him look so horrified. She didn't think that she herself had ever felt so horrified.

What had she done?

She was supposed to be in love with Adrien.

So why had she just been making out with _Chat Noir?!_

"Ummm…that…that was just part of the experiment," Chat Noir quickly explained, suddenly unable to look at her.

"Y-yeah." Marinette remained frozen in place.

"You…errr…you did good." Chat Noir's voice was completely flat, giving nothing away. "Good luck and see you around."

Marinette barely had time to gasp and look up before Chat Noir jumped off her balcony and disappeared into the night.

Heart still pounding, all Marinette could do was collapse back into her deck chair. Her eyes were wide and unblinking, unable to process or believe what she had just done. She was in love with Adrien. She had no feelings for Chat Noir. He was just a friend. So what had that been all about?

And why had she enjoyed it so much?

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_The End_

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**Happy belated birthday ChibiRinni! I hope that you enjoyed this little one-shot and I hope that it was worth the wait! You're one of the most amazing friends that a pixie could ever ask for! **


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